Ford's My Touch System Bring WiFi and Apps to Cars

Automotive companies keep shoving more high-tech monitoring devices and software into our vehicles with navigation systems, real-time fuel economy gauges, mp3 players, cell phone connectivity, satellite radio and ever more service and safety reminders making their way into all vehicles, not just your high-end sedans. With in-car WiFi just around the corner--and the ensuing apps and upgraded software capabilities--the problem then revolves around how the driver can control everything safely and simply.

At CES 2010, Ford gave its answer--the MyFord Touch, a compelling new system that uses three screens, enables WiFi, opens cars up to third-party apps and runs on the second generation of Microsoft's SYNC system.

The My Touch consists of two 4.2-inch LCD screens that flank an analog speedometer along with an 8-inch touchscreen that sits at the top of the center stack. To control the system, there are two five-way switches on either side of the steering wheel.

The left display is controlled by the left controller, toggling info on fuel economy, mechanical status and safety features, while the right display is controlled by the right, taking charge of audio settings, climate control, phone communications and navigation menus. All of the right-hand functions also appear in the 8-center stack's 8-inch touchscreen, in reach of any curious passenger. In the 2011 Lincoln MKX, the first vehicle to have the system (it will be standard tech on all Lincolns starting this year), the center stack applications will have a touch controls for audio and fans--doing away with knobs completely.

The second generation of SYNC helps the drive take their eyes of My Touch's three LCD displays and put them back on the road with much-improved voice commands. In the first generation, SYNC's voice commands were clunky, at best. The system had a mere 100 commands programmed making even the most basic act, such as dialing the phone, an awkward task (To start a call, you would need to say "phone," wait for the prompt, and then, "dial so and so.") The upgraded SYNC has around 10,000 commands, giving drivers multiple ways to ask for commands--smoothing out the process with less of a need for an in-depth course from the user manual.

Of course, the third, 8-inch touchscreen isn't just a redundant system--in park, this screen will take advantage of Ford's new WiFi abilities, with an integrated browser that supports tabbed page navigation, a 3-D carousel for bookmark browsing, on-screen and USB-connected keyboards and text-to-voice readers. In-car WiFi is made possible through USB-installed air cards, a USB mobile broadband modem or by tethering wireless in a limited selection of phones (not the iPhone, possibly a Blackberry, Ford tells me).

With the WiFi also comes the ability to install apps--now Pandora, Stitchure and OpenBeak (a twitter client) are available with more to come, promises Ford, which will act as a gatekeeper for apps to make their way into the vehicles. WiFi access will also allow for software upgrades--no more DVD installations for the latest in-car software--and remote-access diagnostics (while you're driving, we would hope) are surely just around the corner. Ford is not planning on wi-fi hardware to be pre-installed just yet; in-car wi-fi is made possible through USB-installed air cards or a USB mobile broadband modem.

Starting with the 2011 Lincoln MXK, all Lincoln models will have My Touch and in the future, all Ford and Mercurys will follow suite with some version of MyFord. Ultimately, Ford hopes to offer My Touch in 80 percent of their fleet within 5 years, bringing high-end telematics to everyone.

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